Conventional grinder guards are commonly fixed in position or operate on a spring return from a full guard position of a grinder blade to a retractable operating position of the grinder guard. The grinder guard may be pushed aside by an operator's hand or by a workpiece which keeps the guard retracted. However, the spring tension on a retracted grinder guard is felt by the operator as a force against the workpiece which interferes with the operator's craftsmanship. Worse, the spring force against the grinder guard during its retraction can create a temptation by the operator to bypass the guard and hold it fully retracted by his hand or to remove it from the grinder completely to obviate the retracting spring force and an interfering grinder guard all together. Fixed and non-adjustable grinder guards require the operator to get into backward or even dangerous body positions to accomplish certain work.
Some grinder guards therefore present an interference in the operation of the grinder at best and present a grave safety hazard at worst. An operator may have his fingers damaged and cut or even severed by the grinder in attempts to pull the guard out of contact with a work piece. On the other hand, the operator may have dangerous shavings or debris thrown into his or her face and eyes by an unguarded grinder blade or wheel. Not only are there personal risks to unguarded operation but safety restrictions and legal ramifications pursue from OSHA (Operational Safety and Health Administration) and an operator's ability to work for contracts requiring OSHA compliance.
Some conventional grinder guards include limiters configured to put boundaries on how far a grinder guard can retract and therefore allow less spring force and tension to a workpiece. Such limiters help alleviate the before mentioned issues in grinder guards but do not completely alleviate a retracting guard and the issues associated therewith. Therefore, and for other reasons not specifically described herein, there has been a long felt need in the market for a non-retracting grinder guard that does not interfere in an operator's work and craftsmanship.